I have read several people use everything from 2x4's to small tree's dried. i suppose a chicken would pretty much use anything you put up to roost on, but i want something comfortable for my birds, may sound trivial, but hey, i like a comfy bed(roost). Do chickens "Need something small enough to grip, or would a wider, say a 2x6 turned flat give them something more to lay/squat on? If my birds are anything like me, one weird noise i would fall off a small perch... as i waited for a reply, just thought of possibly screwing a smaller, say 1.5x1.5 on top of a 2x6 if they need a foot hold, but it would still have the 2x6 under as a wider balance board...??

I have read several people use everything from 2x4's to small tree's dried. i suppose a chicken would pretty much use anything you put up to roost on, but i want something comfortable for my birds, may sound trivial, but hey, i like a comfy bed(roost). Do chickens "Need something small enough to grip, or would a wider, say a 2x6 turned flat give them something more to lay/squat on? If my birds are anything like me, one weird noise i would fall off a small perch... as i waited for a reply, just thought of possibly screwing a smaller, say 1.5x1.5 on top of a 2x6 if they need a foot hold, but it would still have the 2x6 under as a wider balance board...??

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I vote small tree's out the woods---its a natural thing, like every bird uses that roost in tree's. You do not have to wait till they dry or peal them to use them. 2x4"s have 90 degree corners that I would not feel would be comfortable.

well, pine would seem like the bark might get rough? Maybe a oak/poplar sapling?. Since i would need it to be 10' long, would a 4" dia. tapering to a 2" dia. be about right? I guess the birds could pick their favorite spots lol. thanks/

I would vote differently... Not sure if it matters that much, but it is healthier for chickens to sleep with flat feet. Especially if you have mice/rat issues, the pests will nibble on chicken toes Having roosts that allow for flat feet avoid this issue, as well as lets the chickens to "sit" down and cover their feet with their feathers to avoid frostbitten feet. I suppose their are pros and cons!!

Thanks. well, i dont have rats/mice yet...hoping my 2 yard pups living next door to my coop are taking kindly to the flock, and hopefully may deter some rodents, predators. But one of my mains concerns was about the "Flat" foot thing..I know chickens can and will grip limbs etc, but is it really the most comfy? Lol, laugh all you want, but they say a happy chicken lays more eggs...If it hold true, i might end up installing captains chairs...

I started with rounded top 4 inch wide roosts - they seemed fine at first. But as my hen's aged, they had some issues with the rounding. I now use only 2x4 set with the 4 inches wide for them and they love those.

well, pine would seem like the bark might get rough? Maybe a oak/poplar sapling?. Since i would need it to be 10' long, would a 4" dia. tapering to a 2" dia. be about right? I guess the birds could pick their favorite spots lol. thanks/

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I do not use pine. I choose tree's that does not have that much difference in them----maybe 2 1/2" on the big end 2" on the small. Its what I been using for over 50 years. As far as 10ft---I would do a support in the middle and piece them on that so I could use 5ft lengths.

@sunflour, glad you mentioned the 4" round top thing, because i was thinking of those flower bed timbers. they are about 4x4 but with very round edges. Since i will have 2 roosts, i may use a small sappling as mentioned above, and use 1 made from 2x4 turned with the 4" side up and just see what they prefer. I do like natural items, but in the end i strive to make meh animals happy and comfy..